The Cabinet has approved the University of Nairobi Transformation Strategy.
The strategy is designed to address the institution’s challenges and restore its academic and operational excellence.
Established in 1970, the University of Nairobi is Kenya’s oldest institution of higher learning, with 10 faculties, 312 academic programmes, and an enrollment of 46,946 students.
Despite its rich legacy, the university has faced financial challenges, including unpaid statutory deductions of Sh4.1 billion, pension arrears of Sh7 billion and pending bills amounting to Sh13.2 billion.
Cabinet said the challenges have resulted in staff and student strikes, leadership conflicts, and a decline in academic and support services, consequently causing a drop in global rankings.
To tackle these issues, the university has launched the ‘Big 5’ transformational initiatives focused on Green Jobs, Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Leadership, and Health Research.
These initiatives aim to enhance the university’s resilience and align it with future workforce demands.
Following a directive from President Ruto, the Ministry of Education and the university leadership have developed an ambitious 24-month Transformation Strategy, which has been approved by the University Council.
This strategy outlines eight strategic objectives with clear action plans and timelines, leveraging available resources and partnerships to restore the University of Nairobi to its leading position in higher education and research.
This marks a critical step in revitalising the university and ensuring it continues to produce top-tier graduates and groundbreaking research.
The University of Nairobi is a collegiate research university based in Nairobi and is the largest university in Kenya.
The inception of the University of Nairobi dates back to 1956, with the establishment of the Royal Technical College, which admitted its first group of A-level graduates for technical courses in April of the same year.
The Royal Technical College was transformed into the second university college in East Africa on 25 June 196.
Although its history as an educational institution dates back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970.